A Royal Endeavor
by Daughter of Kronos3
Summary: Percy, a poor peasant with a dark past, starts work as a guard at the Royal Castle with hopes of a better life. Annabeth is destined to be Queen, yet despises the royal etiquette and culture under which she was raised. When Percy is assigned to protect Annabeth from unknown dangers, will he be able to save her or will she be the one doing the saving? Royal AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Hi guys! This is my first real ever fanfic, so please feel free to provide any feedback/thoughts/ideas as I will welcome them all. I really appreciate you clicking on my story, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of the characters, they belong strictly to the GOAT himself Rick Riordan.**

3rd Person POV

On a picture-perfect spring day, the rays of the sun blazed through the white clouds and the blue background of the sky to fall upon the skin of the citizens of the Kingdom of Olympus. Olympus was a beautiful land, stretching from beaches to mountains and valleys alike. As is the center of any kingdom, the castle of the royal family stood tall and proud amongst a great hill towards the center of the region. The royal family was loved and adored by its citizens, as King Frederick and Queen Athena ruled the nation with a mix of generosity and strictness that one could only describe as fair and just.

Outside of the royal castle, the marketplace acted as the chaotic hub for all travelers and peasants. The bakery doors opened every morning smelling of fresh bread and pastries, the butcher offered healthy cuts of meat at generous prices, and the merchants set up their stands every morning hoping that this day would be better than the previous one. Horses and carriages roamed through the streets of the marketplace, as little boys with wooden swords chased each other around telling stories of legendary knights who fought with bravery and honor. Little girls were sent by their mothers with baskets to fetch fresh fruit and eggs, as well as pick stop by the seamstresses shop to purchase more thread and needles. The local inn welcomed strangers and passerbys, offering relief from the hot afternoon sun and the cold evening winds. On the outskirts of the marketplace lie the homes of the citizens of Olympus, ranging from the wealthy merchants down to even the poorest peasants. Many citizens who struggled to find work would turn to the royal castle for aid, offering payment in return for their services as maids, guards, and servants.

Each and every morning at the earliest crack of dawn, before the market even began to spring to life and the villagers went about their day, a teenage boy with dark, raven hair would awake. Living far beyond the castle and even the marketplace, at a rundown barn in the outskirts of town, this boy lived with his little sister, a poor excuse for a stepfather, and a head swirling of "what ifs" and "could bes". He was a boy who dreamed in a world far more advanced than the one he currently lived in. A world where success was earned, not given to those with the proper last name. He imagined a place where a man could turn himself into whatever he dreamed to be – a prince, a knight, heck even a painter if that is what he wanted to be.

But this boy always knew what he wanted to be, and it wasn't a painter. The world of the royals had always fascinated him. Seeing at his current life could literally stray no further from that of a king, he would often catch himself staring towards the massive stone structure atop the hill and picturing how different things would be. Dressed and adorned with elegant robes and jewelry, every meal being a massive feast of fresh meats cooked by the greatest chef in the land, servants and butlers who will do anything you ask.

Against what many would believe, he did not crave living in the castle for the power, as many do. He dreamed of the elegance and freedom of the royal life because it was the only way to distract him from how he was actually living.

Each morning, he would wake up with a sore back and achy muscles after having slept on an old patch of hay in the barn. He would wake up as quietly as possible as to not wake his little sister, for he knew a deep sleep was not easy to come by these days. Stomach still growling from missing dinner the previous night, he would set out to try and find some scraps and crumbs to munch on. Thankfully he was able to catch a baker with his cart of pastries on his way into town that morning and traded a few bronze coins for a spare loaf of slightly burned and mildly rotten bread.

Thankfully, his current job payed just well enough to be able to afford such luxuries. He used to work as an errand boy around town, loading crates of goods onto carriages or helping whoever he could for any amount of pay at all. Then one day, he read a sign about the castle looking to hire young men as potential palace guards and he couldn't say yes fast enough. While he knew it would be physically draining work, any chance to see the castle up close and personal brought him one step closer to forgetting about the hell he currently lived in.

Don't get him wrong, his little sister was his entire world and he would do just about anything for her, but it was their stepfather that caused all the problems. The sibling's real mother and father fell in love hard and fast, a tale that their mother would tell them often as a bedtime story. Sadly, their father was a sailor and a fisherman, resulting in a not so lavish childhood but all that mattered was that the four of them were happy. One morning, their father kissed their mother before heading off to work, only never to return. Lost at sea they said. Their mother was devastated and broken, not only emotionally but also financially.

With next no money to feed her own children, the mother remarried a decently well-off pub owner not long after their father's passing. While he seemed like a generous fellow at first, he true colors began to show. He would go to work at the pub and end up drowning himself in mead and wine, only to be dragged home unconscious at the end of the day by a coworker. He disrespected their mother as the older boy would try and cover his sister's ears every night and lull her to sleep despite the harsh sounds of yelling and bottle smashing that came from their parents below. No matter how drunk or horrendous he was, at least they always had the precious angel that was their mother to provide them with love and care.

Little did they know even that would come to an end eventually. Just a couple short years ago, their mother fell deathly ill. The boy begged and begged the town doctors to try and heal her, but there was little they could do. Those months were the worst of the boy's life. Watching his beautiful, loving mother become a sickly, pale shell of the woman she used to be broke his heart. Day after day, week after week, he would spend hours at her side. He would try and tell funny stories and share memories of good times to cheer her up, but he eventually realized it was keeping him saner than it was her.

Eventually one morning when the boy went it to check on his mother, with a small plate of fruit and water for breakfast, he realized she was gone. Her suffering and pain had lasted for months and yet all it took was an instant for her to leave them. Despite the pain and the horrors of those months, watching his role model disintegrate into little more than a stranger, he selfishly wished they had lasted longer. To sit idly by, unable to do anything to help, and watch his greatest love in the world succumb to sickness shattered him completely. Worse than that, it left him and his sister to be cared for by their drunken stepfather.

In the few years since their mother's passing, the dark-haired boy and his sister have barely scraped by. The boy worked as many hours as he could to muster up a meager salary to feed himself and his little sister and though the boy dreamed of earning enough to one day move out from their crumbling home, they were forced to take shelter under their stepfather's roof.

Their stepfather got worse over the years as well, clearly, he was unable to adjust to not having their mother around to do whatever he required. He drank more than ever before, and the siblings would often hope and pray he drank enough to pass out at the pub for that was much better than the nights he would come home late in the evening in a belligerent state.

On those nights, just when the boy had lulled his sister into a restful sleep, they would be startled by the sound of heavy boots trudging up the stairs to the upper level of the barn. With a mead still in hand, swaying left to right and barely able to stand, the sight of his drunk stupor was enough to send waves of fear through the still young kids. He would laugh and mumble random words, insulting their mother and them as well.

The worst nights were the ones when he was feeling particularly violent, shouting profanities and threating to beat the kids if they ever disobeyed him. To protect his sister from ever having to experience that, the older boy would often purposefully rile up their stepfather to draw his physical anger away from his sibling. The man would beat the younger boy, punching him across the jaw or cutting him with a broken wine bottle, sometimes even whipping him with his belt. Too small and weak to properly fight back and fearful that the harm would then be turned onto his sister, the boy had no choice but to silently take whatever punishment he was set to receive that evening.

With his sister sobbing, watching her supposed to be parent figure mercilessly beat a young teenage boy, the two siblings created an inseparable bond. The brother would take her into town to watch the street dancers or pick flowers from the fields to try and give her some semblance of a normal childhood.

Thus, when the day came for the boy to begin his new job as a guard within the walls of the royal castle, he hoped that this could somehow be a turning point for him and his family. The higher pay could lead towards them being able to leave their horrific guardian and maybe, just maybe, walking through the stone walls of the castle alongside royalty could somehow become the opportunity they had been praying for.

**A/N: Sorry it was a little short, just trying to set the scene for you guys. I should be updating sometime soon in the next week or so, thanks again for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone and welcome back! As promised here is the next update, I will do my best to stick to the once a week updating scheduling. Odds are I will post on the weekends after writing during the week.**

**Anyway, back to the story I really hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of its characters.**

Percy POV

The morning sun began to poke through the wooden panels of the run-down barn, officially waking me up from one of my better nights of sleep in a long time. While normally the day brought with it so many uncertainties and the potential for hell, today was different. Today was the day I was going to begin my first day as a guard at the Royal Castle.

I sat up in my little patch of hay and looked over to my right to see the light of my life still sleeping. My little sister, Thalia, was curled up under a torn wool blanket that I know from experience didn't provide that much warmth to the chilly night air. Her dark black air was a complete mess, covered with pieces of hay and who knows what else. Her eyes were closed gently as she slept, snoring slightly. I always enjoyed seeing her so calm and peaceful, which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should.

My entire life revolved around doing everything I absolutely can to raise her the way I know Mom would have. I turn my head away from Thalia and peer into the barn below, as swallowing becomes difficult as the memory of my mother resurfaces. I can still see her brown hair and her blue eyes that change whenever the light hits them just right. She was the greatest role model any children can hope to have. She taught us how to treat all people with respect - regardless of wealth or status – and how to carry ourselves with dignity, shaping us into people who exude kindness and dignity. Just the thought of her makes the corners of my mouth tug upwards into an ever-rare smile.

Ever since that awful day when she passed, I told myself I was going to have to replace her for Thalia's sake. Only being 5 years apart, Thalia was just 7 when our mother passed. Old enough to remember all the happy memories of them together, but also old enough to remember the tragedy that struck and recognize the clear whole in her heart.

Our mother being taken from us too soon was difficult on Thalia, forcing me to bury all those emotions to becomes the strong parental figure she needed. In the blink of in a eye, I stopped wrestling with Thalia in the dirt and playing with her all around town to suddenly worrying about where our next meal was going to come from. Safe to say it was not an easy adjustment for me, but I knew it was harder for Thalia to have her big brother suddenly try and become what her mother was.

I shook my head and snapped out of my deep morning thoughts, turning towards Thalia.

Reaching my hand onto her shoulder, I shook her gently and said, "Thalia, come on it's time to get up".

She moaned a little bit under her breath but turned over to face me and opened those electric blue eyes of hers.

"Ugh Percy, it's too early let me go back to sleep", she responded back.

"Good try Pinecone Face but no way am I letting you get out of Hestia's today", I shot back.

Hestia is a wonderful woman who lives in town, a very close friend of our Mothers. When higher middle class families have daughters who become of age, they are sent off to Hestia's to grammar school to learn manners, household skills, and more. Normally only families of great status and wealth sent their daughters to Hestia due to the heavy expenses, but that blessed woman offered to take Thalia in for free after our mother's passing.

"Pleaseeeeee Percy, the girls there can be so mean", Thalia answered. She shot me a look with those puppy dog eyes, trying to hit my soft side.

"Sorry Thals, but we've talked about this before. Getting a good education is really rare for people like us and it's something we absolutely need to take advantage of. Plus, I know those girls are just mean because they are scared of you. You could beat those prissies up with one arm tied around your back" I joked.

Thalia immediately perked up and began laughing, "Obviously! They're so worried about getting their dresses dirty." We shared a nice laugh and I picked her up in my arms, giving her a big hug.

"Alright, you know the drill. I'll sneak into the cottage and get us some breakfast, you start getting ready for Hestia's," I told her.

She nodded and we both made our way down the ladder from the upper loft of the barn, on to the ground floor.

A while ago, we dragged most of our belongings from the main house into the barn to be able to avoid _him_ as much as possible. Thalia began combing through some of her clothes, most of which were too small on her or littered with holes, but unfortunately it was all we had right now. She settled on a light blue hemp overdress with a white blouse underneath.

I quickly threw on a park of dark, wool trousers and a white linen tunic.

Sliding open the barn door, I walked through the empty garden and across a short field to reach the cottage. The cottage itself was quite nice, with a timber frame and cobblestone walls stretching around the entire first floor. The second floor of the house was structured primarily from hay and thatching, which worked well with the cobblestone finishes.

I approached the thick, wooden door and gently pushed it open to the reveal a large open space that doubled as the kitchen and a living space. The fireplace to my left was still smoking from being recently used the night before, and the tablecloth on the wooden table was covered with a mess of random hunks of food as well as empty mugs.

I spotted my target, the large wooden pantry located in the back corner of the kitchen. Knowing that the floorboards would creak, I made my footsteps as slow and light as possible. I reached the pantry and swung open the door, revealing the meager display of options for breakfast. A few small rolls of bread, a bit of fruit, eggs, and a few hunks of not so fresh cheese. Knowing I didn't have time to make a proper meal, I settled for grabbing some bread and fruit for Thalia and me.

Just as I was closing the pantry door, I heard a floorboard groan from the weight of whoever was standing upon it. My head snapped to my left to peer down the hallway, where the bedrooms and stairs were located.

The silence was quickly disrupted by the turning of one of the door handles, the door that led to _his _room. Knowing that stealth was now useless, I turned and sprinted towards the door, slamming it open with my body and making a run for the barn with my hands full. I didn't dare look behind me to see if _he _was watching.

As I returned to the barn, Thalia was waiting patiently for me on a small stool. I split the bread and fruit evenly and we enjoyed a simple meal together before it was time to head out for the day.

Hand in hand, Thalia and I took the worn down, dirt path that led towards the center of town and eventually towards the Castle.

Gosh, I can't believe I am headed to the Castle today. I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit my excitement was mixed with a fair amount of nerves. I had never held a sword before, much less used it to fight and protect a family of complete strangers. But every time those nerves bubbled to the surface, I would shove them right back down to the depths of my conscious when I thought about the endless opportunities that could be waiting for me at the castle.

The chance that one day, I could work hard enough to move Thalia and I out of that wretched barn and gives us some semblance of a normal life. To be able to wake up every morning and walk the castle as if I was meant to be there, my imagination would run wild.

As children we all were told stories of servants at every corner, princes, princesses, fire breathing dragons, evil witches, poisoned apples (okay maybe too far?), and who knows what else. Just allowing my mind to consider the possibilities was a method for forgetting the realities of the shitty life I lived back home. To spend my days within the Royal Castle will allow me to forget my times within the not so royal shithole with _him_.

As Thalia and I continued to walk along the dirt path, it began to fill with lots of people making their way into town today. Local farms with wheelbarrows full of vegetables and grains to sell at the market, artisans such as seamstresses and shoemakers with their nimble fingers, and kids off to complete their daily chores.

We finally reached Hestia's grammar school within the village. I fell down to my knees and gave Thalia a massive hug, kissing the top of her forehead.

"Have a great day kiddo, I'll met you back at the barn for supper," I whispered in her ear.

She responded with a quick nod before turning away from me and towards the entrance to the building.

I stood up to walk away when I heard, "Hey Percy," and my heard turned around to see Thalia standing in the door.

"Try not to look like an idiot when you meet anyone royal okay?" Thalia shouted to me.

A smile took form on my face before responding with, "I'll do my best Thals."

I walked towards the center of town, enjoying the noise of the daily hustle and bustle. I had never been to the Royal Castle before, but its looming presence on the hill above the village made directions quite easy.

After finally reaching the top of the hill, I took a moment to absorb the sight lying in front of me. The path leading to the front gate was filled with merchants, farmers, traders, passersby's, servants, guards and more. The front gate was made of two massive wooden doors, which were currently open to allow entrance into the main courtyard. The entire building was made of massive stone bricks, with fortified circular, gatehouses for protection. The structure was by far bigger than anything I had ever seen, at least 20 times the height of a man.

King Frederick and Queen Athena were known for being generous rulers, allowing the citizens of Olympus to walk through the gates and enter the courtyard to participate in trade and daily activities. Of course, unlimited access to the Castle was only for that of the royal family and those who worked there.

Seeing a few guards strolling through the courtyard, I went up to them and asked, "Excuse me fellas. I'm here to start training to become a castle guard, would you mind helping a guy out and pointing him in the right direction?"

The guards give each other a look and what must be the leader steps forward.

He gives me a big up down, scanning me from head to toe before answering, "Through that door leads to the pit, where all the guards get trained. Good luck little boy, you're gonna need it."

The guards give a little mocking scoff at the leader's remark, but it doesn't phase me. I know I'm not physically the biggest or the strongest, but what I lack there I make up for with determination and perseverance. Hopefully, that will be enough.

As I enter the pit, literally a small dirt courtyard, I see what appears to be all the other guys here for training as well. Off to the side, stands a group of true castle guards. The leaders are adorned in metal armor with elegant carvings while the rest of the guards are dressed in tunics and robes, all carrying spears and shields that are engraved with the symbol of the royal family: an owl.

One of the armored guards steps forward and yells, "Men, front and center!"

All of us scurry forward and step in line as quickly as I can.

The guard who spoke before lifts his helmet off his head to reveal a young-looking man with close, cropped blonde hair.

"Welcome to the Royal Castle. My name is Jason Grace and I am the head guard here at the castle, tasked with the training of you newbies. I appreciate you all showing up today, I am pleased to see that this many of you are willing to devote your lives to protecting the royal family," Jason speaks with authority. It's clear he is a natural leader, displaying a blend of emotion and stoicism that every soldier requires.

"Now that you are here, I will warn you all. If you came here because you wanted to sightsee and maybe catch a glimpse of the Princess, now is the time for you to leave. If you came here because you thought it would be an easy job to stand on the castle wall all day, now is the time for you to leave. This job is anything but easy, it requires your complete and utter attention and devotion. We will give you the physical tools to be able to fight, but I cannot teach you how to give your hearts and bodies to someone you may never meet. If you are not prepared to potentially put your life on the life for the royal family, now is the time for you to leave," he finished. I could tell that some of the men standing around me were beginning to question their presence there and perhaps I was too, but there was no way I was turning back now.

Jason paused for a few moments, giving anyone the opportunity to walk right back out the door they came through, but no one did.

Jason smirked, "Good, were off to a great start. Gentlemen, here's how this will work. Over the next few weeks you will be put through a series of physical, as well as mental, labors and tests. We will train you in the basics of combat as well as tests your mental ability to handle scenarios of extreme pressure and intensity. At the end of the training session in a few weeks, myself and my fellow guards will place each of you into a role based upon your performance. The strongest and best men will have the opportunity to join myself on the front lines, responsible for the greatest duties that we are tasked with. The weaker men will be either asked to leave the castle immediately, or be tasked with duties of lesser importance, understand?"

"YES, SIR," echoed through the courtyard as we all responded. I could tell this Jason guy meant business, but it's clear he was doing all this with the best intentions.

"Good, you are dismissed to meet your fellow soldiers. I would advise you to get to know them well, you will be spending a lot of time together. After that, you are free to go as we will start training tomorrow morning at dawn," Jason stated.

As some of the guys around me started talking and milling around, I found myself staring at some of the carvings and symbols etched into the walls of the courtyard.

I felt a presence walk up and stand next to me before I heard a voice say, "Taking in the sight eh?"

I turned to find myself standing next to a massive, ripped dude at least 4 inches taller than me. However, his large muscles were immediately offset by his pudgy, baby face.

"Frank Zhang, nice to meet you," he said, sticking his hand out.

"Percy Jackson, nice to meet you as well. What brings you to guard training," I ask.

"My Dad was a bigtime war general back in the day, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but my mother begged me not to be sent off across the world. I figured place guard was a good happy, medium between the two. What about you?", he asked back.

Not really wanting to share the truth, I replied with, "Yeah same here."

Frank chuckled before saying, "Here, I want to introduce you to some of my mates. We all met at the pub one night and have been pals since."

"Nico, Leo, Beckendorf, Stolls, get over here!" he yelled out.

Five guys all came walking over and wow could they be any more different looking.

One was a small, scrawny Latino looking boy with curly brown hair and a wicked smile while the next one was an extremely pale looking, younger guy wearing all black clothing. Standing to his right was a guy built very similarly to Frank, a large African American kid with huge muscles and hands twice the size of mine. Lastly were two identical looking guys, who had to be twins. Their sandy brown hair and mischievous smiles had trouble written all over it.

"Guys this is Percy, he seems cool so be nice to him," Frank said.

"The little scrawny kid is Leo, the pale creepy kid is Nico, the big guy is Beckendorf and the two look a likes are-"

"Travis and Connor Stoll pleased-"

"To meet you," they both interjected, finishing each other sentences. I was right before; these goofballs are little troublemakers for sure.

I shook all their hands before asking, "So, what did you guys think of Jason's speech? Pretty intense right?"

They all looked at each other before bursting out laughing, yikes was I missing something?

"You mean that show put on by Mr. Macho Man Jase? He's actually one of our oldest friends, we can barely keep it together when he tries to go all tough guys on us. His dad is pretty high up in the Olympian Army so he's been a soldier for a while now, but trust me when I say, the guy's a complete softie on the inside," replied one of the Stolls.

"Oh I see, I had no idea you guys didn't know him," I said.

Leo stepped forward and said, "No worries man, but you've got some catching up to do if you're gonna be a member of the gang. I vote drinks at the pub to get new guy acquainted, who agrees?"

Everyone raises their hands and starts laughing as they start to drag me out of the castle and towards the marketplace. Leo starts cracking some story about his crazy abeula and the Stolls are chasing little boys around the streets while the rest of us are dying laughing.

We finally get to the pub and by then I've literally been crying from laughing so hard. I knew that this entire experience was going to change me for the better, but I can't say I saw this coming.

As I walked into the pub alongside those five guys, I knew something special had just begun and man, I couldn't wait to see where it went.

**A/N: Whoa hey guys! A weekly update as promised. I wanted to first address a few questions you might have. The time of this fanfic is set in the late medieval ages, somewhere in the 15****th**** century. Now, I am going to try and be as historically accurate as possible but at the same time, this is a POJ fanfic and not a history novel, so I apologize if things aren't 100% accurate. I have done a lot of research on medieval housing, clothing, culture, and more but I am sorry if it isn't perfect.**

**I also decided I am not going to use any formal, old English because ew who wants to read or write that? **

**I know that using Thalia as Percy's little sister might throw some people off, but I really liked the older brother dynamic from Percy, and I wanted to use a character we all know and love rather than making one up. **

**Last thing. Over the past week I sketched out the entire plot for this story and wow I couldn't be more excited! I like to think I've got some really fun and entertaining stuff ahead for you guys. **

**Next chapter is all from Annabeth's POV so please come back next week! Thanks again for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! Another weekly update, thanks for coming back and reading. Enjoy:)**

Annabeth POV

The sound of a fist repeatedly banging on my door dragged me from deep sleep and back to the land of the living. I rolled over the other side of the monstrous sized bed, pulling my silk woven sheets over my head, trying to ignore whoever was so rudely interrupting my beauty sleep. The person behind the door seemed to give up initially and I took that as a note to try and fall back to sleep. Just as I found that perfectly warm spot in the center of my bed, the incessant pounding began again.

"Annabeth, stop being so dramatic and get out of bed! I know you can hear me," exclaimed a slightly high pitched young girl's voice.

I knew exactly who it was when I responded with, "No way Piper, I'm not in the mood today".

The door pounding was suddenly replaced with the turning of a door handle and before I knew it, my best friend came trudging through the room and proceeded to jump directly on top of me.

Laying spread eagle on top of my still partially asleep body was my greatest friend in the whole world, Piper McClean. Piper and I had a…unique friendship you could say. Piper's mother, Aphrodite, is a long-time friend of my mother, Athena. Piper and Aphrodite would visit our castle for months at a time when we were kids, so much so that Piper felt like the sister I never had.

We would sneak into the kitchen after dark and steal little bites of sweets from the pantry or run around the castle gardens for hours, pretending to be singers or artists or whatever we decided on that day. Piper didn't have any siblings and I know I filled that whole in her heart the same way she did to me.

Whenever she wasn't visiting, we would write letters to each other, keeping each other up to date on our lives. Every summer, when Piper was visiting, we would spend an entire day down by the stables. Riding horses, feeding the, nurturing them, it kind of became our thing.

When we were six, we pinky promised we would be best friends for ever and neither of us dare break the most sacred vow to exist among little girls.

Piper's mother, Aphrodite, was the most famous clothing designer in the entire Kingdom. She was most known for hand crafting elegant gowns and dresses for royalty and families of high worth and status. Currently, she was on the other end of the Kingdom, working on a new bridal gown for a Lord and Lady that just got engaged and that meant Piper was here with me.

I hadn't seen her in person for ages and it was amazing to have her around the castle again, breaking up the dreary and boring lifestyle that I lived.

"Pipes, can we please ditch the day my mother has planned and actually do something fun instead?", I begged her.

She gave me a small glare before saying, "As amazing as that sounds, I would prefer not to be on the other end of one of your mothers 'I expect better from you' speeches."

I groaned but she had a point, I had received many of those speeches before and trust me, they are worse than they sound.

"Fine, but the minute I'm done for the day I'm coming to find you," I responded.

"Deal," she said with a smile.

I crawled out of bed in my nightgown and poked my head outside before saying, "Piper, can you go grab Katie, Silena, and Hazel? I don't see them."

"Yeah no problem, I'll be right back."

Piper left the room for a few minutes and I walked over towards the windows, pushing open the glass doors to reveal a balcony with a gorgeous view. My sleeping chamber is in one of the higher spots within the castle, meaning that I can see for miles beyond the castle from just outside my window. I can see the tiny workers throughout the castle, performing their daily tasks and going about their lives.

Oh, little did they know how envious I was of them. They may not know it, but they live a life of complete freedom. They can choose to be happy, they can choose to be unhappy. Regardless of where their life leads them, they are doing so of their own conscious choice. They are the architects of their best and worst moments, willingly carving their own path through life.

I am not so lucky. I life a life full of restriction, where my wants and needs go ignored for the purpose of a "greater good". The duty I am supposed to have, to my mother and my Kingdom, is my own prison. Even if I were to have freedom and I were to make mistakes or face failure, I would take comfort in the fact that I knew I was the one who let it happen to me, not anyone else. Any joy or positivity I feel now feels hollow and meaningless because I did not do it by my own choice.

Freedom is oxygen to the soul, it is the power to choose our own strengths and weaknesses. I would rather suffer in my own freedom than thrive in restraint.

I was snapped from my thoughts by the sound of the door opening and the rest of my friends entering my room. I took a deep breath and composed myself before heading back into the room. I gently smiled at the sight before me: my greatest friends all together.

Piper stands beside Hazel, Silena, and Katie, the best group of girls I could ever imagine. Hazel, Silena, and Katie were all maids, servants to myself and my family, but that only begins to scratch the surface of our relationship.

Hazel Levesque has creamy, dark skin and a beautiful head of cinnamon brown curls and piercing gold eyes. She was the quiet one of the group, but was one of the most loving and caring individuals I have ever met. Her father works in the mines, spending his days looking for valuable jewels and riches. Since his excavations often turned up empty handed, Hazel sought work at the Royal Castle at a young age.

Silena Beaureguard is a drop-dead gorgeous girl, with porcelain white skin free of any blemishes and beautiful brown hair that perfectly matches her warm brown eyes that always managed to capture the attention of all the boys. Silena doesn't really know much about her parents, but was raised by adopted parents that she truly loved to this day. She, like Hazel, became a maid at the Castle to explore the world and pay the bills.

Lastly, was Katie Gardner. Katie's mom was a farmer out on the edges of town and as a result she was a massive fan of nature and everything about it. Her green eyes glowed with passion whenever she began one of her rants about the environment of whatever she was currently growing in her garden. Just like the other girls, Katie sought refuge in the Castle as a maid to help make a little extra money for her parents.

All the girls had been working in the Castle for a few months before the three them were assigned to me. I was going through a difficult phase of fighting with my mother, arguing about pretty much everything.

I hated having servants fetch me water or tighten me into dresses, I was more than capable of doing those things myself. Seeing these middle-aged men and women flinch from my words or touch because they were frightened of my power was nothing short of terribly horrific.

After weeks of arguing about removing the servants with my mother, we decided upon a compromise. She said there were a few maids around the castle who were close to my age, explaining that perhaps their presence beside me wouldn't feel as… well, awkward and inequal.

I begrudgingly agreed, still disliking the fact I would require any servants at all.

That week, Hazel, Katie and Silena entered my chambers for the first time. It was clear at first they were apprehensive, likely hearing rumors about me throughout the castle that I'm sure highlighted some of my less endearing features.

I sat the three of them down and asked me to tell them about themselves and their stories. They seemed shocked at first, clearly expecting the Princess of Olympus to be some rude, stuck up child. Over some delicious fruit and cheese, the four of us talked for hours. We laughed about stories of Katie chasing pigs across her mother's farm and were awed by Silena's stories of her whirlwind romances. It became clear that while technically they might be working for me, our relationship would forever run deeper than that.

"Annabeth, you okay? You seem a little out of it," I was awoken back to reality from Piper's voice.

"Yeah, yeah sorry just daydreaming a little bit. I wanted to ask you guys a favor," I replied

"Oh boy, this doesn't sound good," Hazel interjected.

"I need you guys to help sneak me out of the castle tonight," I stated bluntly.

"Annabeth, come on again? Remember what happened last time you were caught running away from palace guards?" said Silena.

"I know I know it was a complete disaster, but if my worst punishment is a lecture from my mother and driving the guards insane then it is a risk I have to take. I haven't left the Castle in weeks," I pleaded.

It was true, my mother has created a very strict training schedule for me and absolutely forbids leaving the Castle unless for some formal event. She sees no educational purposes for a Lady like myself to waste time mingling with poor commoners.

As formal events grew farther and fewer between, my brief trips outside the Castle were slimmed down to a few short times a year. I hated asking the girls to risk getting in trouble for me, but I simply couldn't live this way. Cooped up in my stuffy chambers, forced to fill everyday with meaningless exercises to hone my etiquette and "proper" manners.

"I'll try and talk to some of the guards, but you still have to finish your day with Arachne," Piper reminded me.

Ugh, not that horrendous excuse for a woman. Arachne was my mother's right hand, born from a wealthy upper-class family. Her formal title is Cultural Advisor to the Queen, acting as the bridge between the royal family and the citizens of Olympus. It's a complete joke if you ask me, the woman is high born and cares more about being close with the royal family than she could ever care about the citizens of the Kingdom.

A few years ago, my mother assigned her the duty of training me to become "the elegant Princess I was born to be". Several days a week, I report to Arachne and we go through a series of educational classes and lessons that cover topics ranging from history to manners. I truly can't tell who hates the lessons more, me or Arachne.

My fiery attitude is a direct threat to the principles upon which Arachne has built her entire existence. She has been attempting for years to drill into me the characteristics of a proper Queen.

Only speak when spoken to, Arachne says.

Marry a suitable Lord or you will bring shame to us all, Arachne says.

Do not dirty your hands – that is what servants are for – Arachne says.

Every chance I could, I would defy her. I simply could not wrap my mind around the concept that I had to act in such a manner, simply because I was a woman.

I have always been an extremely prideful person, and the last thing you would ever see me admit is that I need a man to make me a better person.

I peered up at the clock in my room before sighing, "Okay fine, I will go see Arachne now. I'll meet you guys back here after supper."

The girls nodded before turning and leaving my chambers. I paced over to my closet and selected a slightly more elegant gown than usually, I wasn't in the mood to fight Arachne today.

I slipped on a navy-blue silk dress, adorned with intricate lace and silver stitching throughout the sleeves. The gown was low cut enough to display my chest, yet also be respectable. The bottom of the dress was flowy and just barely grazed the floor, making it easer to walk in. I turned towards the mirror, peering at my blonde curls that framed my face.

Knowing the curls would "draw too much" attention and anger Arachne, I decided to braid my hair into an elegant design that was much more "respectable".

I exited my quarters and navigated through the lengthy corridors of the Castle. The walls were decorated with silk drapery that strongly displayed my family seal and several gorgeous paintings that had been collected over the past few decades from some of the most brilliant artists in the Kingdom.

I passed several maids and guards as I traveled through the stone halls, always making sure to say hi to each and every one. Some gave a quick nod back, but many let their eyes fall to the floor. I despised the fact that they feared me, scared that after one wrong look I would have them hanged or fired. All it did was add to the loneliness and emptiness I felt.

I reached Arachne's study, her formal office as my mother's advisor and location of our lessons.

I brushed myself off before giving a quick knock. I waited a few moments before the door opened to reveal the one and only Arachne.

Looking particularly ugly today, she was dressed in an all-black dress with her raven hair knotted into a tight curling braid atop her head. As formal and respectable as always.

"Annabeth, how polite of you to join me," she said.

"In case you forgot, I am forced to come to these," I shot back.

She shot me a disapproving look before saying, "Come in please. We have much to accomplish today."

Over the next three hours I was taken through a series of lessons regarding my actions and responsibilities as a Princess and eventually Queen.

We began with a brief historic overview of the Kingdom, from its origins many centuries again to the current day. Major historic events, from wars to famine, were highlighted as any proper Queen should know every detail of the nation she serves. I am also required to memorize the sigils of many of the proper Lords and Ladies that lived throughout the Kingdom. Understanding the current political climate and public affairs of the wealthy Lords and Ladies was a crucial aspect of running the kingdom.

After history, we touched upon the duties of a princess. Daughters of Kings and other high-born nobles are used as political pawns to gain power and forge alliances, seen to be as permanent bonds since divorce is completely unacceptable. When it came time for a suitor to ask for my hand in marriage, I would have no choice but to accept. I will forever dread when that day will arrive.

Princesses are especially responsible for the management of the household. The princess had to ensure the Castle was running smoothly and was takes with organizing great parties, attending ceremonies, as well as some small responsibilities in the political aspect of the Kingdom as well.

Then, Arachne and I went through proper etiquette and mannerisms, my least favorite part of the day. A proper Lady must stand tall with a straight back, never slouching or slumping in their chair. A Lady must only speak when spoken to, especially when interacting with other high-born Lords or potential suitors. A Lady should never dare speak out of turn or attract any unwanted attention, they are present simply to please and should go unnoticed as much as possible. A Lady should carry herself with grace and ease, showing little emotion.

A Lady must only partake in Lady-like activities, such as sewing or book reading, and never participate in male activities such as combat, horse riding, sit on important councils or using weapons.

No matter how small the occasion, a Lady should always appear like the royalty she is. She must always wear an elegant silk or satin dress, wear way too much jewelry, place her hair into a respectable up do, and wear any makeup necessary to cover any unwanted blemishes. Essentially, I had to be dressed up like a Barbie doll any time I did anything, ew.

Arachne and I then finished up the afternoon with a reading and writing lesson. She made sure to remind me that very few women in all of Olympus had the privilege to learn how to read and write and that I should be incredibly grateful. That was one of the few things, Arachne and I agreed upon.

Reading was a magical escape for me, and the Castle library was filed with hundreds of books. Everything from historical novels to fairy tales filled the bookshelves and offered limitless wonders. In my many boring afternoons, I would find myself sitting in the garden, surrounded by life and nature, losing myself in a novel about war, revenge, love, and so much more.

Finally, after Arachne finished lecturing me on the fundamental existential differences between the core philosophies of Aristotle and Plato, my afternoon with her was complete.

"A satisfactory performance today Princess, we shall pick up where we left off in a few days' time," Arachne criticized.

Despite the overwhelming urge to slap her in the face, I simple nodded and even threw her a small curtsy before leaving her study.

Ugh, she gets on my nerves so much!

"Blah blah blah, my name is Arachne and I'm ugly and I just looooooove making Annabeth look like an idiot," I mocked out loud, doing my best imitation of her high pitched, incredibly annoying voice.

I marched towards my chambers, annoyed with my afternoon of lessons but excited because of the evening I had planned ahead. Thankfully, Piper was already waiting for me when I arrived back at my chambers.

"Hey, how was it today?" Piper asked.

"Oh you know the usual, I don't think I've ever left there not wanting to rip my hair out," I answered and we both let out a good laugh.

"Well thankfully, I have good news."

"Did you talk to the guards?" I asked with genuine excitement in my voice.

"You bet… I may or may not have had to flirt with the head guard a little bit because he was so NOT on board at first but don't worry, I took care of it," she said with a little blush on her face.

"From the looks of that blush and smile, I would say he wasn't an ugly looking guard, was he?" I joked.

"Oh gosh no Annabeth, you should have seen him with his beautiful blue eyes and adorable smile. Plus, you know a girl can never resist a man in uniform," she joked back.

"You know he had some good looking guys working with him down there, I'm sure there has got to be another cutie right?" she offered.

I sighed, "What's the point Pipes? Any day now, my mother is going to tell me she's married me off to some random Lord from gods know where and that will be the end of it."

I have never dreaded something more in my life. Being stripped from my home, my closest friends, everything I have ever know in my life. As much as this place can feel like a burden at times, home is home. I could never imagine living in a different castle, living my days without seeing Piper or the other girls. Doesn't sound much like living to me at all.

"Hey, don't get all down on my now. What's the point of being a drop-dead gorgeous Princess if you're not going to use those powers for a little romance! You know every man in the Kingdom would gladly suit you," she said, clearly trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah, maybe...", I mumbled back.

"Anyway, let's get you ready to get out of this dreadful Castle," Piper said.

Leaving the Castle meant I had to look as little like a Princess as possible, a skill I was actually very good at. Piper and I ditched the silk dress and replaced it with a simple brown cloak with a hood over the top of a plain white skirt.

"How do I look?" I asked, letting my blonde curls flow freely.

"Absolutely 100% ordinary… in the best way possible obviously."

I put my hood up over my head and let Piper lead to me a small winding staircase, typically used by servants and maids to connect from the kitchen to the rest of the Castle.

We snuck our way down the stairs, thankfully not running into anyone who would recognize me, before making it to the ground floor and heading off towards the stables.

A few guards gave us a suspicious look here and there, but no one dared stop us.

"Looks like your flirting worked," I said to Piper.

"Oh, please honey, when have they ever failed me?" We both got a good laugh out of that.

We entered the stables and quickly put a saddle on the back of a gorgeous brown horse.

"Good luck out there Annabeth, don't be gone too long after dark. I'll wait for you here at the stables and then I'll help you get back inside. Be safe!" Piper whispered.

I gave her a massive hug before I hopped on the horse and began my trip to the real world.

LINE BREAK

I brought the horse up to a galloping pace, taking in the beautiful sights as I traveled out of the castle, over the bridge, and towards the marketplace.

It felt so spectacular to feel the fresh air against the skin and let my hair blow in the wind. As I continued to ride towards town, I took in the smells of bread and sewer as well as the beautiful sights from the hills to the farms.

When I reached the marketplace, it was right around supper time. Families were beginning to head home for the evening to enjoy a delicious home cooked meal, farmers were trying to sell of the last bits of crops they had left, and the daily hustle was beginning to die down.

Wanting to explore a little more, I decided to tie my horse at the public stable and go for a little walk. I ventured into small shops, awed by the beauty of all the products I saw. I talked to a few old ladies who hand crafted all the jewelry and products, greatly enjoying speaking to them as if I wasn't a Princess.

I stopped at many merchant stands, displaying a variety of goods from wooden carvings to clay vases and hand-woven blankets. Everywhere I went I was overjoyed with my experience. Simple walking through the streets of the city and absorbing what a normal life what like for these people allowed me to feel as if I was one of them. If only that were true.

I found an adorable little spot, right near a well that overlooked the market square. I could see the children playing and the sun begin to set in the distant horizon. Not wanting the moment to end, I sat upon of the wooden benches and pulled a journal out of my satchel. I was always fond of doodling and drawing as a kid and right now what a perfect moment to capture.

I began to sketch the faces of the kids running through the street, the joy in their faces clear as they chased each other around the square. Next up was the buildings as I detailed ever brick, every plant, and every window that I could fit into my little book.

Getting completely lost in the moment, I didn't see a small girl make her way up to me.

"Whoa, you're really good at that," she blurted out to me.

Slightly startled from the sudden noise, I jumped a little before looking to left. My eyes fell upon a girl, no older than 12 or 13 with dark black hair and piercing blue eyes standing before me.

"Oh, uh thank you," I panicked, not knowing what to say.

"How are you such a good drawer?" she asked again, peering over my shoulder at the journal.

"Um, honestly just a lot of practice. Plus I love doing it," I responded.

She seemed to like that answer as she took a seat on the bench next to me.

"My name is Thalia, is it okay if I try to draw?" she asked so politely.

"Yeah go ahead, see if you can draw that well right there," I answered.

For at least the next 30 minutes, we sat there and chatted. I would give her little tips here and there about angles and depth perception and Thalia would scrunch her eyebrows so tight in concentration as she tried to get everything right. She asked me questions about who I was, and I tried my best to deflect the best I could. More importantly, I learned about her.

She told me about the mean girls at school and how she would always fight back against their mean words. She told me about how she loved school, learning about science and math, even though she doesn't know why it matters outside school. She told me about how she had the greatest brother in the world and wanted to be just like him when she grew up.

We were in a deep, heated conversation about whether pastries or candy was the best dessert when someone suddenly yelled Thalia's name across the square. Standing across the marketplace was a teenage boy, probably close in age to myself, who I guessed was her older brother.

"I'm sorry miss, but I have to go, thank you so much for letting me draw," Thalia politely said to me.

She got up to leave before I said, "Wait!"

She turned back to me with a questioning look on her face.

I walked up to her, kneeling down in the dirt to become eye level with her.

"I want you to take the journal and the charcoal pencil… do me a favor and draw everything you see okay? Always pursue what you love," I said, pushing the utensils in her direction.

Thalia looked directly into my eyes, hers widening to the size of saucers. She grabbed the journal and engulfed me in a huge hug, her arms wrapping around my neck and pulling me tightly. I gently hugged her back, loving the sensation.

"Thank you so much miss! I swear, I will draw everything and everything! I will never forget you miss thank you so much," Thalia babbled back.

With that, she turned and ran towards her brother, jumping up and down showing him her new notebook. Feeling happy with my day in the market, I found my horse and began my trek back to the Castle.

Today was a wonderful day. Her mother and Arachne have always instilled in her that poor people are filthy savages who care only for themselves, resulting to violence and thievery. Gosh, they could not be more wrong. The everyday commoner was not self-centered or malicious, they were kind and empathetic, probably more so than anyone who lived within the Castle.

I arrived back at the Castle stables just after dark, to find Piper waiting there for me just liked she promised. We quietly made our way up the stairs, slipped past some servants, and made it back to my quarters. I slipped out of my clothes, hiding them in the very back of my dresser, and changed into my night gown.

My heads swirled with what ifs and could bes, wondering what my life would be liked if I wasn't born in a stone Castle atop a hill.

**A/N: Whoa, longest chapter I've written yet. I hope you guys liked it. Our two favorite people are finally going to meet next chapter so make sure to come back next weekend! Please feel free to review if you have a moment, the comments always make me day. **


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